At the WinHEC conference in China today, Microsoft showed off a new biometric authentication feature called Windows Hello. The ambitious technology, which uses fingerprint and iris recognition to replace passwords, will debut in Windows 10 devices later this year.

If the latest rumors are true, Microsoft is on track to release Windows 10 to its hardware partners as early as June. But in the new era of continuous development, RTM is just another milestone. Here's what it really means for businesses and consumers.